


The Man of Another Man

by TomyrisDarkwarden



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-26 21:06:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18185729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TomyrisDarkwarden/pseuds/TomyrisDarkwarden
Summary: Jesse moved carefully in front of Hanzo and swept gracefully down onto a single knee asking permission to perform a traditional Crusader ceremony.One that would bind Jesse to him as Lord and Vassal.To be Hanzo’s “man”.





	The Man of Another Man

**Author's Note:**

  * For [coinin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/coinin/gifts).



> Inspired by a brief Twitter thread.  
> I had thought about making this a sort of For Honor AU but that was honestly a bit more work than I wanted to do for this.  
> I love a fantasy au and, yeah, vows of homage make for heartbreaking romantic tension.  
> Anyway. I threw this together over the past hour or so, so it's completely unbetaed (I swear I did proofread it, though, so here's hoping typos are at a minimum. Lemme know if you catch any.)  
> I'm also giving out explicit permission to just steal unashamedly from this if you have thoughts concerning a full fic.  
> I wouldn't be opposed to writing something longer, but I also have about 4 other fics running around in my head at any given moment and I'm not sure I can give this one the love it deserves.

Hanzo 's insides squirmed under the heavy silk of his formal kimono.  
He would have preferred to have been dressed in his armor for such an occasion, but Genji had talked him into layer upon layer of sumptuous silk in a dozen shades of midnight blue and gold.  
It had been about a year since his men had captured the ronin; the “Errant Knight Sir Jesse McCree.”  
Curious as Hanzo was about the Crusaders he kept Sir Jesse in good health and had had frequent discussions with him.  
Apparently the man had fallen out of favor after his former lord had betrayed the ideals and the promises that had once bound them together.  
Over time, Hanzo came to understand, not just the Crusaders, but Sir Jesse himself. The two had become something that could be mistaken for “friends” if one completely ignored the impropriety of a great warlord like Hanzo Shimada being friends with a foreigner.  
Then about a month ago something very odd happened.  
Hanzo had just stepped into the courtyard. The spring air was still chill, even in the early afternoon. Jesse was, of all things, late to their weekly game of Go.  
When Jesse finally did arrive he was accompanied by Genji. Hanzo had stopped having Jesse constantly under guard after he had saved Genji's life during a small raid last summer and the two men were now fast friends. Real friends. In a way that Hanzo, by virtue of his position, simply couldn’t have been.  
Instead of sitting down to their game, Jesse moved carefully in front of Hanzo and swept gracefully down onto a single knee asking permission to perform a traditional Crusader ceremony.  
One that would bind Jesse to him as Lord and Vassal.  
To be Hanzo’s “man”.  
Hanzo’s heart hammered in his chest and he found he couldn’t form words, so he simply nodded.

In the weeks since, Jesse had all but disappeared into the depths of the castle making his own preparations for the ceremony.  
Genji was the one who had related the specifics of this tradition. This vow which Jesse had called “homage”.  
And so here Hanzo stood in the same courtyard, now buried in Sakura blossoms under a full moon.  
Genji stood next to him, grinning like a madman, as well as a small number of elders.  
The younger man was just beginning to squirm with impatience when Jesse made his appearance.  
He was dressed in his Crusader full plate armor, a red Katana -a gift from Hanzo specifically for this occasion- hung at his side.  
Hanzo attempted to subdue his racing thoughts as Jesse approached them, again sinking neatly down to one knee.  
He was beautiful like this. The silver moonlight glinting off his shining armor, eyes full of life and fire, but cast down, carefully tempered and like a sharp blade in its sheath. All for him.  
Hanzo’s chest fluttered as Jesse folded his hands and presented them to him and Hanzo took them between his own.  
“I, Jesse McCree, of the clan McCree, here now give my service, my blade, and my life to you, Hanzo Shimada. For as long as my breath lasts. Until my lord release me, or death claim me.”  
Hanzo swallowed, but did not dare clear his throat despite whatever it was that sat thickly, making forming the words he had practiced for days difficult.  
“I, Shimada Hanzo, of the house Shimada, accept your service. Never shall you now loose your way. For I will be your guide. Never shall you now know cold, for I will be your shelter. Never shall you now know hunger, for I will be your provider. And never shall you now know insult, for I will be your justice.”  
Hanzo released his hands and hoped against hope that they did not shake as he took Jesse's face in his hands and placed his lips chastely against the other man’s, sealing their fate together, and damming them to a life just out of reach of one another.  
Jesse looked up at him and smiled.  
His man.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks y'all so much for reading.  
> While the inspiration for this fic was based on historical records we have of vows of Homage and Fealty as laid out in Mark Bloch's 1961 book Feudal Society, (Which is a purely academic text and is, as such, bone dry, but if you're an aspiring medivalist is fundamental reading.) I have taken a LOT of liberties in my portrayal of the ceremony itself.  
> While it was considered a contract between lord and vassal, the lord almost never actually verbally reciprocated his man's vows. It was expected that a lord would provide for his men, especially any household warriors, but it wasn't stated explicitly.  
> Bloch also describes it as extremely uncommon for a knight to jump ship to another lord and swear fealty to a new master, however, if it's good enough for Sir William Marshal, considered the father of Chivalry who jumped from the service of Henry II to Henry The Young King, and then left after sleeping with Young Henry's wife, and THEN after Young Henry's death served Richard the Lionheart (about whom I have opinions) who he had fought AGAINST alongside the Young Henry, (I can keep going, but I won't) yeah it's good enough for Jesse McCree of the clan McCree.  
> Yes, that was a bit of a Highlander reference. Yes, about half of Jesse's vow was stolen from Pippin in Return of the King.  
> No, there is no historical basis for Hanzo's half of the vows. I made them up.
> 
> Anyway, this kind of thing is part and parcel with me if you'd like to follow me over on Twitter @TomyrisDarkward.
> 
> Again, Thank you kindly for reading and I hope to see y'all again real soon.


End file.
